Teen weightlifter fails to medal at championship, commits suicide

Moscow
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A 15-year-old Russian weightlifter has committed suicide after he performed poorly during the recent Under 18 Moscow Weightlifting Championships.

Igor Tepikin reportedly leapt out of the 17th floor window of his home in west Moscow on Sunday. After hearing a door slam, his parents ran out into the stairwell of their apartment home. They saw a window open and a few moments later found their teenage son's body sprawled on the pavement below.

Moscow police are investigating the incident and are currently working on two theories according to Life News. One theory is Tepikin, who was passionate about weightlifting, was distraught after losing at the Weightlifting Championships. The second is that the teen had an argument with his girlfriend whom he had been talking to on the phone moments before.

RT.com is reporting that the championship tournament was the first time Tepikin had competed and not won a medal.

Tepikin's coach, Boris Pontalov, had entered him in the championship believing that competing against older boys would help him improve. “I just wanted him to try himself with older athletes. Nobody expected him to win. The guys of his age are to compete in December and that’s the event, for which we were preparing. And he knew about it.”

Investigators are also looking into the possibility that Tepikin may have been taking a supplement designed to help reduce fat and lose weight quickly. The supplement is known to cause depression according to a LifeNews Russia report.